The Kids are Definitely NOT Alright
by deardiaries
Summary: The Winchesters kill your worst nightmares, they've been to hell and back, they stopped the apocalypses, but being ordered around by a bossy five year old isn't their slice of pie. Little kids are being kidnapped by demons. Now the brothers got a little girl in the back seat, with a target on her back. She's got something inside her that Castiel was afraid of.
1. INTRO

Mommy said stay put. Don't move. Don't come out. Wait for mommy and mommy will be back soon. Everything is alright. Be quiet now. It's okay darling. That is what mommy said. Then mommy left me, all alone in here, by myself, in the dark. I hate the dark. I hate my closet. Every time my clothes brush against my face I whimper, which is breaking the fifth rule mommy said. I'm making too much noise, trying to cover my cries with my hands over my mouth. And it's hard to breathe. I hear the sounds of screaming and running and begging and I try to be quiet, I try so hard. I shriek when the sound of the screaming and begging ends. I never liked this house, because the floors make a loud noise when you step on them. And after the screaming voice stops, the sound starts to become louder and louder, the creaking making my knees shake, so I quickly tuck them close to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. I want to be small, so small, so if the footsteps are not my mommy's I can disappear. My door creaks open.

**24 Hours Earlier**

"Hey check this out," Sam throws the newspaper on the table where Dean has his feet resting. "Kids are going missing. Typically I'd wrap this up as the usual creeper. But," he holds up a finger to emphasize the turning point, "I dug a little deeper and guess what I found." Sam didn't wait for Dean to guess. "Half of these kids were in a fire when they were six months old. Living with one surviving parent, tell me that doesn't sound familiar."

Dean was already sliding on his navy jacket and picking his feet from the table. "Where to?" He pulls out his keys from his pocket, dangling them around his finger.

"Aspen, Colorado. It's a couple hours drive from here." "

I got the bags, go make sure the arsenal is packed," Dean headed off to his room to get the duffle bag he had already packed under his bed, then grabbing Sam's bag from under Sam's bed, hey, old habits die hard. Dean already felt the stress of this case weighing on him, there was nothing he hated more than when kids are hurt by some freak monster.

"Mrs. Greely, I'm agent Tyler this is my partner Scully, mind if we ask you a few questions about your son's disappearance?" Sam held out his badge and asked the woman in her bathrobe and messy hair politely. She was hesitant but opened the screen door to allow them through.

"Like I already told the other agents, I was sleeping, I didn't even notice Danny was gone until I had to get him up for school," she spoke as she led them to the living room. "What kind of mother does that," she muttered to herself and gave a quiet hiccuping sob. Sam and Dean-or Tyler and Scully, took their seats on the couch, the despaired mother sat across from them.

"Ma'am, was there anything… out of the ordinary going on around the house before your son was kidnapped?" Dean is sitting on the edge of the couch, unable to get comfortable.

The women flinches at this question, quickly hiding her perplexed look. "What do you mean by that?"

"Lights flickering? Cold spots? Bad smells in the house? I realize its strange but we have to cover the basics," Dean pleads with his eyes. "Um…" her tired grey eyes flashed to the ceiling briefly then went back to Dean's.

"Not that I recall. Cold spots no, smell, lights flickering no, but a few days before a man approached my son, he seemed weird. I completely forgot about him until a few days ago, the police don't think it's likely."

"Please," Sam asked.

Mrs. Greely shook her head, pulling the memory from the cloud of emotions. "He was… average looking, there wasn't much to him. Blonde hair, blue eyes, he didn't seem threatening-I just can't help thinking that he followed us from the park! You think? The cops don't think so. He just asked how old Danny was, said he was real cute. God I should have double checked the locks," the woman began to get teary eyed.

"Mrs. Greely what can you tell us about the fire in your previous house," Sam asked slowly, letting the words sink in to the emotional woman.

Her sadness pulled into a scowl. "I don't see what that has to do with Danny being kidnapped."

Dean shook his head, "just going over the basic questions ma'am. We are going to do whatever we can, but we need all the facts."

Mrs. Greely looked down at the coffee table as she spoke. "My husband, Stan had been saying someone was in the nursery, he was sort of a paranoid man, it was the middle of the night so I told him just go check. The baby monitor wasn't going off. I didn't think anything of it, but a few minutes passed and he wasn't back, I started to smell smoke. I got Danny out just in time… but Stan...God-Stan was gone. The fire department said the only thing that made sense was that Stan spontaneously combusted, he was the source of fire." Her eyes flickered between Sam and Dean, "I remarried when Danny was three."

"Thank you for your time ma'am, I promise if anything, and I mean anything new comes up you will be the first to know," Dean smiled reassuringly to the woman, who allowed a small smile then sniffled.

"So what," Sam says when they cross Mrs. Greely's yard to get to the Impala, "demon?"

"Nah. Something doesn't add up. No Sulfur or flicking lights, I checked the E.M.F when I walked in, nothing. We killed yellow-eyes and last I checked Lucifer is roasting marshmallows in the cage and if angry spirit isn't picking off rugrats I don't know what is. I'm telling you something, I think something real bad is happening here. And I tell you another thing, when we catch the sonofabitch, I'll gonna kill him five times over." Sam nodded in agreement, getting into the passenger seat.

Dean and Sam sat in yet another mourning parent's living room, the third in four hours. No E.M.F as Dean checked the for the fourth time, running out of excuses to wander the house. No Sulfur or flickering light, ruled out demons. "Was there ever a fire in your house? Maybe strange things happening that made you decide to move?" Sam, still portraying himself as agent Tyler.

"What does this have to do with Suzie?" The father snapped, arms around his wife, who sat sipping tea silently, every once in a while letting out a tired sigh.

"Protocol questions sir," Sam reassured, eyes flickering to Dean's uneasily. Though Dean was somewhere else, focused on the older boy on the steps, staring guiltily at the floor.

"Yeah so we moved when Suzie was sixth months old, so what, Charles was freaked out. Having bad nightmares, not getting enough sleep, scared out his mind-this has nothing to do with Suzie being kidnapped. It all stopped when we moved, now she's been…." He couldn't say kidnapped one more time, he leaned into his wife. "Excuse me," he got up and the wife followed, giving Dean enough time to get up and talk to the kid, who had some things to say about the ordeal.

Dean didn't say anything, the kid spilled as soon as he walked up. "My sister was taken by the man. The same man who came into her room when she was a baby. My parents don't believe me. You don't believe me either. Nobody believes me." His wide eyes fixed on the floor again.

"Woah. Hold on now, I never said I didn't believe you. Tell me what you saw."

He was reluctant. "Man came in, leaned over her crib. There was a big light, bright. He put it inside her. He left before mom and dad got there, they told me it was a dream. I heard him come in last week. I knew it was him, he was back. But he took Suzie and was gone." The kid sniffled.

"Hey, look at me." The boy listened. "We are going to find your little sister and bring her back. I promise." The boy, Charles, nodded solemnly.

"Okay I have a list of all the kids that live in the general area from ages five to eight and Dean… there's a lot. But-"

"Let me guess, there's only one family who moved due to fire." Dean impatiently tapped his hands on a table. His sleeves were rolled up on his white buttoned shirt, loosely tucked.

"Exactly. Conveniently for us. A little girl and a mother out on Addison Street."

"Let's go check on the munchkin," Dean agreed, following Sam from their sleazy motel room.

**Right Friggin' Now **

The door was locked. It didn't surprise the brothers, it was only...wow, midnight, time really does fly. Dean frantically picked the lock, feeling edgy about the whole thing. Two steps in and the pool of blood reached their feet, their guns were out and cocked before another second tick. Sam and Dean had to step over the woman's dead body to run up the stairs.

_I'm not getting paid enough for this_, thought the demon in the little girl's room. His mouth watered at the sound of her whimpers in the closet. _But I can't kill her_. He rolled his eyes irritatedly, slowly walking towards the closet. His hand was on the knob when Dean and Sam shouted curse words and attacked.

"You sonofabitch!" Dean jumped over the bed with his demon blade in hand, lunging for the demon, who conveniently threw his head up and ejected itself in a pillar of black smoke. The meat suit collapsed on the floor with a thud. "Damnit!" Dean huffed, glaring at the floor then kicking the bed.

"Dean," Sam called sternly over his brother's small angry tantrum. Dean looked up expectantly. "Do you hear that?" Dean cocked his head to the side, listening to the deathly quiet house. Small sobs came from the closet. They sprang towards the closet door, sliding it open.

A little girl with her knees tucked in to her chest, arms thrown around her legs. Her face was gently nuzzled into her knees, eyes swollen with tears, body in trembles. The girl's light brown hair was matted around her roundish face. Dean bends eye level to the child, concerned, with the previous anger drained from his body. "Where's…" she began to shake harder, barely audible. Her bottom lip trembled. Golf ball sized tears fell from her light blue eyes. "Where is mmm-my mommy?" She didn't look directly at Dean, but past him on the man on the floor, or rather the meat suit.

Dean followed her eyes to the trickle of blood seeping from between the man's lips. "Hey," he said a little more sternly than he would have wished. "Don't look at him. He's gone, he isn't gonna hurt you."

"That's not the monster," her small face pulled into a concentrated scowl, her gaze still on the man. "Where's my momma," she asked more demanding this time, yet sniffling and wiping falling tears from red cheeks.

"She isn't here," Sam spoke soothingly, frowning at the child and standing with his hands at his sides behind Dean. The little girl glared at Sam, hearing the lie in his voice, then looked back at the man concentratedly.

"I want my mommy," she finally looked away from the small pool that was coming from the man and looked at Dean pleadingly, which tugged on his heart strings more than he'd care to admit. "Is she downstairs?" Her eyes were large, looking questionably at Dean. "Momma!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," Dean told the girl as the water works were coming again. "We'll take you to her okay. Calm down. It's okay." He immediately regretted telling the girl to take her to her very much dead mother.

"Dean," Sam warned in a whisper, panic in his voice. "We can't take her downstairs."

"What do we tell her," Dean whispered back as if the little girl didn't have ears. She sprang up and ran past the perplexed Winchesters and the monster, running through the hallway. She was one the steps when they finally reached her, but it was too late, the blood had reached the edge of the last step.

"Mommy," she whimpered, Dean gently touched her shoulder as too sooth the child. "The monster did this," she muttered quietly. "Did you kill the monster," she looked up at Dean and Sam, eyes glossy.

"The monster is upstairs," Sam told the girl, who easily noticed yet another lie.

"No. That wasn't the monster."

"What mean? Was there another person here?" Dean started to get jumpy and put his other hand inside his jacket close to the gun.

The little girl sighed frustratedly, crossing her arms. "No the monster had a scary face. The man upstairs had a scary face and now he doesn't. He isn't the monster anymore."

"You saw the de-" Sam corrected himself quickly. "Monster's face?" When the little girl nodded he exchanged a '_dude, what the hell_' look with Dean.

"Okay we'll get this all sorted out but right now, we gotta get you out of here. What's your name sweetheart?" Dean bent eye level with the kid.

"Aleanah," she answered in a mutter.

"Aleanah, we're going to bring you somewhere safe okay? You gotta be strong and you're gonna have to work with us." Dean looked up at Sam for any objections. He didn't know what else to do besides take the kid somewhere safe and away from here. Sam just stared concerningly at Aleanah, he couldn't bare that this was happening all over again. "Right," Dean turned again towards the kid dressed in Finding Nemo pajamas with tear streaked cheeks and a running nose. "Do you need anything before we go?"

She nodded, bottom lip puckering still. She led them back to her bedroom where the meat suit laid on the floor. Aleanah reached under her covers and pulled out a rugged looking teddy bear with an eye missing and an ear slightly torn, it looked like it had never been washed before. She sophisticated the bear in her arms. Her eyes landed again on the man and Dean had to coax her out of the bedroom.

Sam led the way downstairs, stepping over the ever spreading pool of blood. Dean held on of the girl's tiny hand in his large, scarred hand. Aleanah scrambled free once reaching downstairs, crawling towards the body. She ever so carefully brushed her mother's hair back, softly kissing her forehead. Aleanah whispered something in her ear, then stood up, grabbing Dean's hand again, and followed them to the Impala.

Aleanah climbed into the backseat when Dean opened the door for her. She buckled herself and her bear in, promptly staring out the window as her house disappeared behind them. They put Aspen, Colorado in the rearview mirror.


	2. Oh that's right, kids need sleep

The brothers had quickly realized when a kid doesn't get enough sleep, said kid becomes irritable and cranky. Said kid doesn't want to ride in the car anymore and said kid is likely to have a meltdown in a gas station when it's time to climb back in the Impala. Sam and Dean stopped at a motel when something that fit their job description came up, turned on Spongebob and watched cartoons do their magic.

"I'm telling you Dean, there's nothing. It's like the trail went dead. Everything ranging from kiddy kidnaps to fires at six months old has stopped. However, we may have a problem."

"Other than the forty-five pounds of bossy that's watching cartoons?" Dean looked over at Aleanah, who was content on the bed and almost, _almost_ asleep.

"Exactly that forty-five pounds of bossy, her picture is all over the news. Aleanah Day kidnapped from Aspen, Colorado." He turned the computer over to show her missing persons picture. Dean sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose.

"This is fine. Nothin' we haven't tangoed with before. We get her a new identity, keep her in motels when we can-"

"-Because all kids want to stay locked up in a motel room." Sam snapped, remembering how just three hours in the Impala made Aleanah threaten to open the side door and roll out. She had clearly been watching too many action movies. Dean sighed heavily.

"Hey kiddo," Dean swiveled in the chair he was in to face the two queen beds. Aleanah had yet to sleep since they rescued her from the house, her slumped poster in the bed and short circuit made that clear. "Look the monsters are looking for you, so we gotta get you a new name-"

"-Can I pick my own name?" She frowned at the brothers, picking at her teddy bear's dirty fur.

Dean shrugged, "yeah that couldn't hurt, so what do you want your name to be rugrat?"

"Mulan," she stated without falter, attention drawn to the t.v. again. Dean liked her taste in Disney princesses, nodding and turning back towards Sam, giving him a 'what have we gotten ourselves into' look.

Aleanah, or Mulan now, had finally fallen asleep on the second Spongebob episode, giving the brothers enough time to research what was going on further.

A total of seven children have been taken over two years, same MO; something supernatural occurred on the night of the babies six month birthday. No one ever saw these kids again. Always five year olds, that was about the only connection between the kids. Sam had discovered that three years ago, five seventeen year olds had gone missing, with a fire on their six month birthday, however, they came back several months later. A number of accounts said that the teens were special, different, but when they returned, their personality had dramatically changed.

"I hate to ask Sammy, but what the hell? Are we dealing with the same thing?"

"God I hope not, but honestly Dean, I don't know what else to think."

"So demon does the whole Dracula-drink-my-blood thing, then collects in five years. Why five years? An army of cartoon addicts doesn't seem like the best fit for demonic military. It doesn't make any sense."

"When does what we do make any sense," Sam questions, rubbing his hand over his face. "Maybe we should call Cas for this."

Dean nodded in agreement, then turned to the sound of a kid waking up. "Hey munchkin, you hungry?" Aleanah nodded, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Her hands pushed back her knotted hair, reminding Dean that if she went out like that Child Protective Services would probably be called, and that's just what they needed.

"Can we go now," the girl complained as she waited for Sam to fish a brush from his duffle bag. "My hair is okay. I'm starving."

Sam looked at Dean pleadingly, holding up a closed fist and an open palm. The master of decision making; Rock/Paper/Scissors. Sam won, handing the brush to a sighing Dean.

"I am five years old. I can brush my own hair," she blandly told Dean. He gladly handed her the brush, however, she avoided the knots and brushed her bangs until they were soft. "I'm done."

Dean rolled his eyes, taking the brush from her and swiveling her around by her shoulders. He started at the ends of her hair, trying to be gentle with getting the knots out. "Stop squirming, you're making it worse," he ordered. She was too stubborn to listen.

"I wouldn't be moving if it didn't hurt so much!" He was half way done when the whining picked up again. "Dean! You don't know how to brush my hair. You have to do it softly!"

"I'd be done if you stopped complaining."

"I'm not complaining," she whimpered helplessly. "I'm just telling you how I feel. And it huuuurts."

"There! I'm done. Sam, next time it'll be your turn." He threw the brush on the bed and led everyone out the door.

SPNSPNSPNSPNSPN

The diner was warm and smelt of grease and coffee. The hostess swooned over Aleanah, giving her crayons and a coloring sheet.

"And what's your name sweetheart," she asked, leading them to a table.

Aleanah grinned at the brunette hostess, but it was Dean who said with a flirtatious smirk, "her name's Mulan."

"No," she shook her head quickly as if offended that he didn't know her name. "My name is Katniss. No! Umm…" she thought for a good moment, "yep it's Katniss." Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head, realizing he should have explained to her that she get's one name.

The hostess smiled anyway, showing them to a booth by the window. Sam scooted in and Aleanah sat by him, Dean across from both of them. "Your waitress will be here shortly," she smiled, setting down menus, a paper kid menu for Aleanah.

Sam helped her read the options, but she immediately asked in all seriousness, "can I have dessert first?"

Dean frowned. "Do you think you can have dessert first?"

"I don't know that's why I asked," she said returning the frown.

Dean rubbed his closed eyes. "No you can't have dessert for breakfast. Get pancakes or something."

"I don't want pancakes," she scowled.

"Look right here," Sam pointed at her menu. "They have waffles with fruit or maybe you want some oatmeal...heres fruit salad."

"Mac and cheese?" She looked at Sam first, then to Dean. "And chocolate milk. And Softy wants oatmeal."

"Who's Softy?" Dean began to reach for his flask of holy water.

"My teddy bear," she retorted as if it had been obvious, the teddy bear, however, was in no way shape or form soft anymore, or did it look like it ever had been. The brothers had yet to realize she had been lugging it around with her the whole time.

"Oh," Sam said, "I fed Softy at the motel, you were sleeping and he seemed hungry so I gave him something to eat," Sam lied, though it looked like she might have bought it.

She frowned, "what'd you feed him?"

Sam pulled the first thing that came into his head, "apple pie."

Dean decided to join in on the game. "You fed Softy my apple pie? Sam, how dare you." It got a few chuckles from the kid.

"I just thought he was hungry and you weren't going to eat it-"

"Yes I was! I was saving it!" Dean started to escalate his voice, which got a full giggle out of the girl. "Did you feed him my banana cream pie too?"

"Yes actually I did, we shared it, it was delicious."

"I don't think I trust you anymore Sammy. I can't even look at you right now," Dean dramatically turned his head away from Sam. "What are you laughing at," Dean scowled playfully, which made the diner echo in the kid's laughter.

The waitress came took their drink order; two coffees and a chocolate milk. She came back a few minutes later with the drinks and took their order.

"Chuckles over here," that alone made the kid erupt into laughter. Dean gave her a weird look. "Calm down before you forget to breathe kid. She'll have the macaroni and cheese, I'll get a stack of pancakes, some of that fruit stuff, and a side order of bacon."

"I'll have the number seven," Sam told the waitress. Order seven was a vegetable platter, imagine that, Sam...ordering salad. She took the menus and twirled away.

SPNSPNSPNSPN

"Hey Dean," Aleanah chimed after setting her chocolate milk back on the table. "Can I have some of your pancakes?"

"You've barely touched your mac and cheese kid," Dean groaned halfway done chewing a bite of pancakes. "You didn't want pancakes remember."

"Just one bite," she batted her greyish eyes at her.

"More of your macaroni and we'll see if I'm in the sharing mood," Dean stated, flashing a glare at the smirking Sam, who was content with his vegetable salad that Aleanah didn't even glance at. Dean forgot that kids were this much maintenance.

Dean ended up giving her a quarter of his pancakes when she ate half her macaroni. She gladly took the syrupy, fruit covered pancakes off his hands and scarfed them down as if she hadn't been fed in months, which made Dean's eyes roll again.

Aleanah hopped off the booth once the waitress came back with the bill. Dean followed and Sam began making his way out of the booth when he noticed something odd, the blank page the hostess had given her to color on was completely colored. Aleanah had dulled her dark blue crayon to color a rather disturbing drawing of a man lying in the grass, burnt wings spread out, and blood pooling around him. Sam folded the paper and quickly stuffed it in his jacket.

Aleanah was halfway through a Ninja Turtles episode when Sam showed Dean the drawing. Dean just looked at the image, then back at Aleanah, who was happily zoned out on the episode.

"What the hell Sammy?"

"I think it's about time we call Cas."

"Yeah," Dean agreed, looking at Aleanah. "I'll be right back," Dean stated, taking the picture from Sam's hand and going outside.


	3. Hallmark Card Moments

"Cas, come on man. Get your feathery ass down here before I march up there and get you myself. I need your help. It complicated and I'd rather explain it when you get here-if you get here." Dean looked around the area for an awkward looking man in a trench coat, "Cas," he pleaded, but he got hard again, straightening up. "Hell with you Cas," he huffed.

"I'd rather not have Hell with me Dean, that sounds extremely painful and last time I visited Hell didn't agree with me." Cas appeared behind Dean.

"Where the hell have you been? I've called and called and now you show up." Dean was trying to mask his hurt with anger, as he so often did.

Castiel frowned. "I am aware. I do not respond to house calls Dean, however I will help you now, due to this being a serious issue to all of mankind."

"Could you repeat that last part," Dean sarcastically asked in sudden shock. _Serious issue to all of mankind, gee Cas thanks. They should put that on a Hallmark card, 'Sorry I didn't help you with your brother but...it wasn't a serious issue to all of mankind_.' Dean rolled his eyes at the thought.

"Which part was not understood?" Cas blankly asked.

"Is doesn't matter, look Cas, we've got a kid in there who's-"

"I know you have Miss Day in your care. Has she shown any signs of gifts or blessings yet?" Dean showed Castiel the drawing of the dead angel. "Yes, of course." Castiel vanished and reappeared in the motel.

"Who are you?" Aleanah scrunched herself up on the bed, staring questionably at Castiel, whose face was like no other human she had ever seen. He was bright and handsome, his wings spread out from one end of the room to another.

"I am Castiel, Angel of the Lord."

Dean stormed in, then stopped when he saw Castiel had transported into the motel room. "Cas, what the hell? I wasn't done talking to you."

"I have learned enough. This child has something inside her...if I could just look." He stepped closer towards Aleanah, who scrunched up further on the pillows. Her eyes were glued to his glowing face but her fear was apparent.

"Woah Cas, whatcha doing?" Dean tensed just looking at her face.

"I have a theory," Castiel stated. "Don't be afraid," his hand touched her forehead, making her collapse into unconsciousness on the pillows. "She may have Grace inside her."

"Grace...as in, angel Grace," Sam crossed his arms over his chest, raising his eyebrows skeptically.

"There is no other type of Grace; yes angel Grace Sam." Castiel sighed as if it was stressful explaining things to the Winchesters all the time. "This will be painful for the child, and I sense there is some tension rising in this room." Castiel looked over at Sam, who was uneasily tapping his foot, then to Dean, who was glaring at Cas. "I am sorry," Castiel said unsettled, not enjoying the look Dean was throwing. "There is no other way."

Castiel leaned towards the small child, still wearing her, now dirty, Finding Nemo pajamas. He adjusted her so her back was lying on several pillows. Then, with a bright white light, put his hand inside her stomach, reaching through her ribcage. Aleanah's muscles clenched, veins glowing a bright red, running along her neck. A scream of pain erupted from her chest. Dean scrambled forward, but Sam quickly stopped him.

"I should have seen this sooner," Castiel removed his hand from the kid's body. Dean went past Castiel to Aleanah, whose heavy breathing was returning to a regular pace. He knelt down towards her, messy ringlets of dirty blonde hair covering her face. "The child has angelic Grace within her. It's been growing for precisely five years."

"Cas, why would angels put Grace inside of little kids?" Sam questioned, even more intrigued than before. This was seeming more and more like Yellow-eyes and demon blood, except with angels and Grace.

Castiel frowned, wiping Aleanah's blood from between his fingers with a white towel. "It had been rumored for several centuries that angels may have been putting Grace inside humans. Children's souls are easier to manipulate and store unearthly properties."

"Bunch of douchebags! How many kids went missing over this? And what about those teenagers? What the hell happened to them," Dean fumed, standing from the bed.

"The seventeen year olds three years ago, I am aware." Castiel paced around the room. "Their Grace was extracted, it's a surprise they survived such a large extraction. No...this is different. The children were kidnapped by demons."

"You don't say Peter Loew!" Dean growled.

Castiel cocked his head, "I do not understand that reference."

"Nicolas Cage-oh nevermind!" Dean gave up after getting another rather confused look from Castiel at the name. "We know the kids were kidnapped by demons, we got zilch on why."

"I may have an idea. I must leave."

"Wait! Cas, where are you going? You just got here." Dean stared a little more helplessly at his friend then he would have wanted.

Castiel's frown fell. "I have to find the demon or perhaps multiple demons who have kidnapped the children. Watch the child, she seems to find you trustworthy enough. And Dean, be cautious." The sound of angel wings flapping was the exit bell.

**SPNSPNSPNSPNSPN**

_"Aleanah," a voice sang. The sun came through the window, shining over my bed. Momma was wearing her blue flower dress, the one that flared when she danced with me. "We're going to the park today remember baby. Come on outta bed." She scooped me up and spun over to the closet. "Which one you want to wear," she asks, showing me to the bright dresses. I shake my head. "Oh right," she sighs, "you want your overalls."_

_The park is nice. It's warm and bright. Mommy says I'm too little to climb the monkey bars, but the slide is all mine. It's a castle and I'm it's knight. I stand on the top and listen to the wind blow, watch the leaves dance in trees. I feel happy and warm, but when I look down at mommy, the monster is standing over her. It's face pulling into a smile of teeth. Mommy doesn't see it's about to eat her. I want to scream, but nothing comes out._

Aleanah sprang from the bed, muscles sore and stomach twisting. Tears rolled off her cheeks and her body jerked in sobbing hiccups. She wailed, looking around the dark motel room for something familiar. Dean groaned in the other bed, reaching for the knife under his pillow. "Hey kiddo what's the matter," he muttered half asleep.

"I-I had a b-bad dream," she hiccuped further. She rubbed her eyes with the sides of her fists. "My tummy h-hurts."

Dean sighed, rubbing his face and looking across the room at Sam, still sleeping on the couch. He peered over at the clock on the nightstand that read 3:34 a.m. too early to run over to a convenient store and pick up Kid's Tylenol. He groaned. "Okay," he patted his bed, "come 'ere." She scooted off the queen bed she had all to herself and crawled in beside him, still hiccuping. Dean made a mental note to get someone to bathe the kid since she still smelled like that greasy diner, and her hair was getting knotted again. Wouldn't hurt to pick up some clothes either.

**SPNSPNSPNSPN**

"Hey dude, I think I found a case," Sam said, sitting at the desk while Dean slept with one arm around Aleanah. "Dean…" Sam sighed, "Dean!"

"What," Dean moaned. Aleanah wiggled out and dug under the pillows. He sat up and rubbed his face tiredly. "Case okay...what kind of case?"

"You're not going to like it," Sam says, reading an article on a death in Michigan.

"Witches," Dean growled after Sam had told him about the strange deaths. One guy drowned while sleeping, another swallowed their tongue, and the third was baked while sunbathing on the beach. "God I hate witches." He looked back over to the sleeping kid, slipping on another layer while talking. "Should we wait for something to come up though, I mean the demon could come back."

"All the more reason to go. Look Dean, Cas said he's working on it so he's working on it. The best thing we can do is keep our eyes open, but we can't wait for something to fall in our laps."

"Yeah I guess you're right. First things first, breakfast."

"We can eat on the way," Sam retorted.

"Okay well lets at least get the kid some new clothes, she's been walking around in those pajamas since Saturday." Dean pointed at Sam accusingly, "and you're brushing her hair this time."

When the kid did wake up, Aleanah allowed Sam to brush her hair. She didn't squirm as much and her complaining was at a minimum, which made Dean groan and curse out that it was only because Sam had girl hair that he could brush hers. Sam and Dean packed their bags, and Aleanah shoved motel soaps in her pocket, threw one of the pillows under her arm and clutched her one eyed teddy bear, looking up expectantly at the Winchesters.

The Wal-Mart they ended up going to was hot and stuffy, not to mention crammed with brat kids and mom's who silence pain with Mcdonalds meals. Get in, get the stuff, get out; that was their mission. Who knew it would take three and a half hours….

"I like Batman," Aleanah growled when Sam offered a Beauty and the Beast t-shirt. "Ooh Scooby Doo!" Her attention was drawn over to the next rack, picking up shirts that looked familiar to all the cartoons she'd been watching. Sam sighed, trying to find where Dean ran off to. When Sam turned around however, Aleanah was gone.

"Aleanah!" Sam had shouted, towering over all the shirt racks and trying to find the small kid. "Damnit," he muttered frantically, grabbing the cart and trying to find the kid before a demon did.

Aleanah had gone around the corner to look at the Marvel shirts they had. She found interest in a few, then wanted to show Sam a Hulk shirt that she thought looked like him. But the cart wasn't there anymore. "Sammy," she called out a little helplessly.

Sam was running down every aisle with the cart, it must have been twenty-five minutes of searching, and a lot can happen in twenty-five unsupervised minutes. "Aleanah!" He ran down the shirt racks they were at before again. "Dean is going to kill me," he muttered when coming up with nothing. Sam stopped in his tracks when hearing a call from behind. He turned slowly to face his brother, imagining the horror on Dean's face when he sees Sam doesn't have the kid. Sam heavily sighed, seeing Aleanah on Dean's shoulders, grabbing on to his ears happily.

"Sam where'd you go? Doesn't this look like you," she held up a green shirt of the Incredible Hulk. Sam kept any comment inside for the time being, he just noted that next time he's left alone with her to bring a leash.

"Okay are we finally ready to go to the checkout now or what?" Dean leaned over the cart, asking Aleanah, who was sitting in the cart with several clothes surrounding her. She nodded happily.

The price was outrageous. Sam quickly picked a tooth brush out and some toothpaste, which Aleanah glared at. "Can I get gum," she asked before the last item was scanned. Dean sighed and put a pack of minty gum on the counter, a mistake that would later be dearly regretted.


	4. Michigan (Part 1)

"If you don't put that gum back in your mouth I'm gonna chuck it out the window," Dean warned, looking in the rearview mirror at Aleanah, who was stretching the piece of gum with her fingers. She pulled it one more time, looking directly into Dean's eyes glued to the mirror, then stuffed it back in her mouth.

Michigan was only a few hours away now and they had tried to pass the time by loud music or eye spy but boredom eventually took over again. Dean had managed to hold Aleanah still long enough to put her hair up in a messy ponytail. Sam had to bribe her to brush her teeth. Aleanah had also finally changed from her Finding Nemo pajamas that were beginning to smell into a pair of jeans with bumble bees stitched into the denim and a Batman t-shirt Dean insisted she wear.

"So…" she started to swing her legs boredly in the back, kicking Sam's seat every few kicks. "Where are we going?"

"Once again, Michigan to visit some people-could you stop kicking my seat please?" Sam had been on edge the entire car ride, in fact, he'd been on edge since Wal-Mart, hell, since they jumped into this children getting kidnapped case. He hated it, every last little bit pissed Sam off in a way he couldn't describe to his brother. It's just too close to home for him to stomach.

Her foot stopped kicking and she let out a long sigh. "How long before we get there?"

"Couple hours, why you gotta hot date?" Dean flashed Aleanah a smile.

Aleanah's face pulled into disgust, "No! Gross!" She was still obviously in that phase where she thinks all boys are plagued with infectious cooties. "Are they nice?"

"Who," Dean asked, turning the radio on low. A Cheap Trick song was on.

"The people you're going to visit, are they your friends?"

"Eh," Dean tried to think of a way to describe his relationship with witches. Sam looked up from the map to see what Dean would say. "Not really, not at all actually." Dean thought of the multiple encounters with witches he had. The violence. The maggots, oh God the pigs feet. Somewhere in his thought he forgot she was only five years old and said out loud, "They're all bitches."

"Dean," Sam scowled. When receiving a confused look from Dean, Sam gestured towards the kid.

"What? Oh right, don't repeat any of that got it kid? At least, don't repeat it in front of any stuck up soccer moms." Dean looked back at Sam, who rolled his eyes and went back to reading the map. Dean turned up I Want You to Want Me and drove faster on the empty highway.

**SPNSPNSPNSPN**

They arrived at a motel called Snowed Inn and went to the front desk. Aleanah was eye level with the counter, and if she really, really tippy-toe reached she could grab the candy in the bowl. She managed to grab a few handfuls and shove them into her pocket before the women gave her a weird look and asked, "where are your parents?"

Aleanah frowned, thinking it was such a stupid question to ask. "They're in heaven." Aleanah went for another handful but the woman moved the bowl from her reach.

"Who are you here with?"

"Mmm...I call them Sam and Dean, they're grabbing something in the car." Aleanah popped one of the peppermint candies in her mouth.

"And they're...taking care of you?" The woman eyed the child concerningly. Aleanah nodded wondering why the woman kept asking her all these stupid questions.

"I'm just saying, Cas knows something we don't. I can tell because we share a "profound bound" that you wouldn't understand," Dean teased as they walked through the door. Sam rolled his eyes. "Hi," Dean grinned at the woman, leaning against the counter and handing her his credit card between two fingers. "Two queens please," he asked. Aleanah tugged on his jacket to show him the treasure of sweets she had in the makeshift shirt pouch. She gave a large smile and ate another peppermint.

"Sign your name here," she set down a clip board and handed him the room keys. Dean picked up the pen and signed his name as Dean Hasselhoff. He reached over the desk and grabbed a large handful of mints, smiled and turned around before the woman could give a death glare.

Aleanah stormed through the room once the knob turned, jumping on the bed closest to the t.v. and settled on the end of the bed with Softy and the remote. She quickly clicked through the channels, then realizing there was nothing to her interest on, collapsed on the bed to stare at the ceiling.

"Okay I'll go talk to the Dough Boy's wife, you're on babysitting duty," Dean states.

"What!? Why am I on babysitting duty?"

"Because I'm the oldest and I say so," Dean retorts with a cocky smile.

"No," Sam growls, "we'll settle this the old fashioned way," holding out an open palm and a fist. Dean rolled his eyes, removing his hand from his coat pocket. "Why do you always do the scissors Dean?" Sam smirked, putting his coat on and shuffling out the door.

"Hey Dean," Aleanah said with worry in her voice. "Don't be mad okay…."

Dean frowned, putting his hands on his hips and looking at the girl for something wrong. "What did you do?"

She grabbed her ponytail to show him the rat's nest of hair sticking to a glob of white gum. "I accidently got gum in my hair."

"Ugh," Dean groaned, trying to see if there was any possible way to get the gum out without cutting her hair. "Aleanah I told you not to take it out of your mouth."

"I didn't!" Aleanah defended herself. Dean raised his eyebrows at her. "Okay I did kinda take it out of my mouth. I'm sorry Dean!" She sniffled.

"Okay, okay, no need to get the waterworks going," Dean led her towards the bathroom and set her on the counter by the sink. "I don't know if we're going to be able to save it," he muttered.

"That's okay, the gum was losing it's taste anyway," she smiled, wiping a tear that managed to escape.

Dean smirked, "I'm not talking about the gum Rapunzel, I'm talking about the hair."

"What! No, not my hair! I don't want short hair!" She shielded her head with her arms. "Please Dean I'm sorry!"

"What did I say about playing with gum? This is just desserts kiddo." He looked through his bag but could only find a pair of dull medical scissors.

When he came back to the sink she was sniffling. "What does ice cream have to do with this?"

"Look calm down, it's just hair, it'll grow back."

"You don't know if my hair will grow back!" She was bawling now. "It could be like Tangled and my hair will NEVER grow back!"

Dean took out the hair tie keeping her hair up and began snipping her dirty blonde locks off. "It's like I'm living a scene from Mommy Dearest," Dean murmured. He cut a little messily and crookedly due to the dull scissors but most of her hair ended up being chin length. "Look, you're an American Mulan," he said, scooting her so she faced the mirror. Her sobs died down.

"I look like Black Widow!" She said excitedly, long eyelashes still wet.

"Yeah well Black Widow should get a bath, you're covered in hair kid."

Aleanah scrunched up her nose. "I forgot to tell you, I'm allergic to water."

"Oh is that so, what'll happen if you get wet?"

"I'm like Stitch. It's my greatest weakness. My molecules are so dense that I sink like stone in any water."

"That's interesting," Dean nodded, turning around to start the tub. "But this isn't water, this is uh… dragon blood."

"Why isn't it red," she asked with sudden interest and belief.

"Well it is red, it's just such a light red that it seems clear."

She frowned, eyes questioning, then she nodded and jumped down from the sink. "I will bathe in the dragon blood."

"Okay I'm gonna be out here, don't drown or electrocute yourself kay kid." Dean wandered out into the motel room, sitting at the table and looking into more cases with missing children. He found bupkis on anything.

After she was done being Jaws in the bathtub, she climbed out and changed into Bugs bunny pajamas. "Dean! I'm done, my hair is all wet."

"That's generally what happens when you take a bath, you get wet. Did you wash your hair with Shampoo and Conditioner?" He came in, rolling his eyes at the amount of water on the floor.

She frowned. "No Dean. I didn't want to get soap in my eyes." Dean sighed and gave up. "Can we get some ice cream?"

"Make it pie and you got it kiddo."

"Okay," she beamed, grabby her teddy bear from the bed and jumping up and down excitedly.

"Put your coat on it's cold outside and we gotta walk to the diner."

Aleanah sighed as if it were a strenuous exercise to slip her arms into her black coat. Dean rolled his eyes over her exaggeration. "Do I really have to wear my coat?"

"Do you really want pie?" Dean raised an eyebrow. She nodded, "then you really need to wear your coat." She slipped it on and zipped it up.

"How far is the diner," she asked, grabbing his hand. He opened the door of the motel and led her out into the lightly drizzling weather.

"It's not very far you oompa loompa, just stay close."

"Is Sam gonna have pie with us?" They crossed the street and began to walk down a sidewalk.

"Probably not kiddo, he's busy talking to-"

"-Dean no!"

"What!?"

"You stepped on a crack," she pointed with her free hand at the cracks in the concrete. "You'll break some mother's back Dean." He shook his head, trying to get his heart rate back to normal. "My name will be Natasha in this diner Dean."

"You gonna change your mind half way through?"

"No this time it's Natasha, just Natasha."

Dean smirked, "whatever you say kid. Look I can see the diner from here."

"Oh yay! Come on Dean!" The girl tugged on Dean's hand and they jogged the rest of the way. The bell jingled when they entered the diner. The host grinned and brought menus to a table for two. "What kinda pie should we get Dean?" She flipped through the pictures.

"When in doubt, go apple pie." Dean closed the menu.

"Okay I can do apple pie. Oh and chocolate milk! We need chocolate milk!"

"Fine tell the waitress our order then kid."

The waitress dressed in a skirt with her dark hair in a braid came and took the menus, smiling at the both of them. "And what can I get you two today?"

"We both want apple pie and chocolate milk please," Aleanah said in a strong voice that was more bosy than anything else. The waitress scribbled on the notepad, smiled again, and left to go and get the orders. "Hey Dean…."

"What's up," Dean said looking at the diners decor that consisted of fishing hooks and taxidermy animals.

Aleanah gulped and whispered so quietly Dean was surprised he'd heard it. "Are the monsters still looking for me?" Dean quickly looked at the girl, who put a convincing strong face on in front of people but let the mask fall for a split second.

He tensed in his chair. "Hey, don't you dare get scared. I promise you we're going to keep you safe no matter what you got that?" She nodded quickly, looking at her fork and spoon on the table.

"They want me 'cause I'm a monster too huh?" She sniffled.

"What," Dean snapped. "No, don't you ever think that. Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you. You are not a monster and they're not going to touch a hair on your head. Got that?"

"Here's your pie darling," the waitress put the plate in front of Aleanah, then gave Dean his. "And your chocolate milk." Aleanah grabbed the chocolate milk and shakingly took large gulps through the straw.

"Eat your pie," Dean points at her plate.

"Will it make me feel better," she asks with tears at the edge of her voice.

"Makes me feel better," he retorts, shoving a large bite of fresh, warm, gooey apple pie. Aleanah took a bite and smiled wide-eyed at Dean.

"It does make me feel better," she says with another bite.

SPNSPNSPNSPN

**OH MY GOD! I LOVE THE SUPPORT! Thank you for the follows and favorites and reviews, they really go a long way!**


	5. Michigan (Part 2)

Sam had gone to William Harcourt's house that afternoon to speak with the distraught Mrs. Harcourt. He tapped softly on the door, fake FBI badge ready. She opened the door, curvy figure hugged with a satin black dress, curled brown hair cascading down her back. The new widow smiled and the now blushing agent.

"Yes," she batted her dark, long lashes.

Sam scrambled to get his badge open, almost dropping it. "I have a few questions about your husband's death." He flashes the badge, closes it and quickly slides it back into his coat.

"Oh," she seemed almost disappointed, "I already talked to someone."

Sam smiled, "It's protocol Mrs. Harcourt, may I come in?"

She stepped out of the way, opening the door. "Please do, and it's Tiffany." Sam uneasily walked through her house, feeling her trailing behind, hearing her long heels click on the wood flooring. "You can sit at the table," she gestures at the wood table in the dining room. He takes a seat, Tiffany taking the seat across from him.

"First I am sorry for your loss Mrs, sorry, Tiffany." She nods in agreement. "Did William have any enemies? Anyone that might be out to get him?"

She frowned, "I thought William died of a heat stroke?"

"Protocol," Sam said, feeling her foot against his leg. He stiffened.

She grinned at him. "You do know what Will does-did, don't you?" Sam shifted in his chair as an answer. "He was an animal control specialist, he put down animals for a paycheck. Will was a douche, he's gotta lot of enemies; most of them are eight years old but you know…."

Sam swiftly threw a cup of tea down his throat, smiled, and showed himself out the door. He slipped into the Impala, feeling awkward on the driver's side. The radio was turned off, windows rolled up, AC on, just the way he liked it. Sam decided to catch Dean up on the case before going to the other two men's house. He drove in the rainy weather to their motel.

Sam parked the Impala close to the door, walking to room 45 and unlocking the door with his room key. His expression can only be described in two human words; bitch face. Dean was laying on a bed, legs crossed. Aleanah, now with short, uneven light brown hair had her head against Dean's chest. It wasn't the sight that amazed Sam, it was the sound. The Little Mermaid was on at least fifty on the television, Ariel's voice screaming through the speakers.

"Dean! What happened to her hair?" Sam walked over to the tv, turning it off.

"Sam!" Aleanah shouted, face filled with shock, as was Dean's to Sam's astonishment. "She was about to see Eric."

"Dude, what did you do to her hair?"

"She got gum in it," Dean shrugged, scowling at the man who stopped him from seeing Ariel meet Eric. Dean rolled his eyes, groaning then looking back at Sam. "What happened with that Easy Bake guy?" Aleanah scrambled out of bed and opened the curtains to look out the window as Sam spoke.

"We're back to square one, William had tons of enemies apparently. I was going to talk to the Dikes and Michaels to see where we stand. Still thinking witch though."

"You're on chuckles, I'll talk to the victim's family," Dean rolled out of bed. "I just fed the thing a butt load of sugar; good luck Sammy," Dean hit Sam in the shoulder, grabbed his coat from around a chair, and walked out the door.

Aleanah spun around to face the awkwardly tall man. She crossed her arms and frowned. "Why is your hair so long?"

"Why is your hair so short," Sam retorted, mimicking her poster.

She held the scowl for a good minute before smiling. "So Sammy, watcha want to do today?"

Sam broke his crossed arms and scowl to, looking around the room at the dirty clothes strewn everywhere. "It looks like we have some laundry to do, here, help me pick them up," Sam bent down to pick up one of Dean's t-shirts. Aleanah bounced to action, and began racing Sam to see who could pick up the most.

"I win," Aleanah held up a bundle of clothes. Her little arms shook.

Sam grabbed his duffel and shoved clothes inside, he held it out for her. "Put them in here," he suggested, she smiled at him in a way that made Sam tremble in his shoes slightly. Aleanah dropped the clothes and skipped towards the door.

"Are we going to walk there," she asked hopefully. Aleanah enjoyed walks, however not when it came to her stuffy, tight coat she always has to wear. She likes the outdoors, likes feeling it on her arms, plus it was still lightly drizzling outside which is a bonus for her.

Sam frowned, looking down at the small child with her hair slightly curled from when it was wet. "Sure, after you get a coat on."

"Again with the coat," she groaned, clinging to the door knob like she was a locked animal. "It's not even cold out Sammy."

He grinded his teeth, Dean taught the girl to call him "Sammy" otherwise she'd just be calling him by his non-cubby-twelve-year-old name. "I guess we're not going to the laundromat then," Sam huffed, setting the duffel bag down on the bed and sitting down on the edge beside it.

"Wait! Okay, okay, geez." She fished her jacket from under the bed, slipped it on and suddenly got stuck on the zipper that just wouldn't zip. She jerked and pulled and yanked; it just wouldn't budge. Frustrated, Aleanah stomped her little foot on the ground and pulled harder.

Sam rolled his eyes and took the zipper from the little girl's grip. With ease and without falter, he zipped the jacket all the way up to her neck. "There, now let's go before Dean get's back."

"Thanks Sammy," she chimed, running to the door and waiting expectantly for him to open it.

**SPNSPNSPNSPNSPN**

"Sammy," Aleanah leaned against the washer that was about a foot bigger than her. "I want to go back to our room. I'm bored." The dyer shook with the damp clothes.

"Nice to meet your Bored, I'm Sam."

"UGH!" She moaned. "No Sam, I'm not Bored the person! I'm like bored the feeling."

"Oh, Like Bored The Feeling have you seen a little girl about yay high," Sam gestured towards the girl's height. "She kind of looks like you. Got these big bluish eyes, dirty blonde hair, rosy cheeks. Not quite as bosy as you though."

Aleanah exhaled hard from her nostrils, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't like this game Sam."

"Hey, I know of a game Like Bored The Feeling would like."

"Well I am Aleanah."

"Oh my mistake, you don't want to play this game."

The girl frowned, feeling there was no way to win with this guy. "I do. What is it?"

"Dean and I would play it all the time when we would do laundry. Come here," Sam picked up the kid, carrying her over to the laundry card with the large handle for hangers almost as tall as him. He dropped her inside the empty cart.

"What's this game called?" She asked excitedly, gripping the cart.

"Dean called it; "Don't Get a Concussion or Dad'll Kill Me." We shortened it down some and now it's just; Concussion."

Aleanah frowned, not completely sure what a concussion was, but the cart lurched forward and zoomed through the aisles filled with machines. She clenched the sides tightly, making a mixture of noises that one couldn't decide if she was crying or screaming or laughing. Growing up, Sam had always been in the cart, with his big brother pushing him around until the manager came out to yell and put his fist in the air. Now, he feels pushing is more fun than riding. Their hair flew in the breeze.

"Okay," Sam gasped after a few circles around.

"I can't-I can't breathe," giggled the girl, laying down on the cart and breathing heavily. Sam pulled the warm clothes from the dryer and put them on top of one of the machines adjacent. He began folding clothes into neat piles. "Sam," Aleanah said, panic on the edge of her voice.

He turned to her swiftly, leaning down and checking for blood, which he found none. "Are you hurt? Did you see something? Are you okay?"

"I need to pee," she exclaimed, fidgeting in the cart. Five year old bladders are not the most reliable things.

Sam lifted her up and set her down, pointing to the girl's restroom just across the room. Aleanah scrambled over and pushed the door with her back. Sam looked at the door worriedly, wondering if he should wait closer. "She just needs to pee, she'll be out in a minute," he reassured himself, going back to the clothes. It started to take longer than he expected….

Aleanah stood on her tippy toes to get some soap from the dispenser on her hands. She rubbed her hands together, running warm water over the spuds. A woman came in, young, blonde, early twenties. However, in Aleanah's eyes she was old, wrinkled, barely hair on a speckled head. Aleanah's eyes widened, she quickly jerked her hands from the sink and shrunk back from the woman, looking towards the door and hoping Sam would come rushing in.

"Sweetheart, are you okay? I'm not going to hurt you," the young woman said in a sweet voice. On the outside, her eyes were a hazel, on the inside, the part that Aleanah could see, they were as hollow and empty as a skull.

"You s-s-stand back. I am not afraid," Aleanah commanded, more to herself than the woman. The girl was petrified, a scream couldn't even escape. The old woman lunged forward, grabbed Aleanah's arm and disappeared with the girl.

"Hey, Aleanah… you okay in there," Sam knocked lightly on the bathroom door. "I'm coming in," he called out, pushing through the door and stepping in a puddle of water. The sink continued to run. He quickly turned off the water, ducking down to see any feet under the stalls. "Aleanah!"

**SPNSPNSPNSPN**

"It's a spell," the witch explained to the tied up Dean Winchester, who was two kinds of pissed off. Blood was dried on his forehead. "It required sacrifice, as most spells do." The witch was dressed in a clean dress shirt with black slacks, his hair greased back. "A dick as you know as William Harcourt, an athlete David Michaels, the soldier Ivan Dikes, a hero, well that's you, and an innocent, my wife's got her now."

The young woman appeared with Aleanah over her shoulder, unconscious. "I swear to God if you touch her I will kill you, your children, and your children's children so help me God." Dean spoke through teeth after a long, panicked pause.

"Oh this thing," the woman dropped Aleanah on the wood floor. "She'll die after you sweetheart, long after you because see, we have to eat her for the ritual to be complete. You can't stay young forever just because your magical dear." The woman smiled. "It's a real shame though, I can feel an energy comin' off this kid like you wouldn't believe."

"You could say she's good enough to eat," replied the other witch, slithering his tongue between his stark white teeth. He ran a hand through his greased back hair.

"You touch one hair on her head," Dean warned, trying to reach the knife he had stuffed in his right sock.

The woman laughed, "what? You'll kill us, aw that's sweet. We've been around awhile, we know your kind."

"Hunters," the man nodded.

"A few every half decade or so, but we find a use for them," she gestures towards the cabinet filled with Mason jars. Dean had been thinking it was jam the whole time….

"Dear, you should wake the Innocent up." The man grabbed a carving knife from the kitchen counter top and began sharpening the blade. The woman giggled how one would imagine a witch to giggle, old and wicked, like somethings caught in her throat. She ties the small wrists together with a plastic zip tie, and the ankles, props the child against the wall, and lightly touches her forehead.

Aleanah blinked tiredly, yawning and believing she was still in the motel room, safe and sound with Sam and Dean. But she wasn't in the motel room, and she wasn't safe. She shrieked in horror at the old woman's, now beginning to show signs of decaying, face. Tears of confusion began to form in the little girl's large, round eyes.

"Hey! Aleanah are you hurt?" Dean shouted from behind them, he reached for the knife again, desperately trying to grab it.

"D-D-Dean?" she hiccuped, though she kept her eyes on the witch.

Dean grinded his teeth at the sound of her helpless, scared voice. "Yeah. I'm right here, don't be afraid, she wants you to be afraid."

Aleanah tried to grasp this concept, trying to hold back the elephant sized tears, trying to contain the sniffles and jerks. Her throat burned from the need to cry. She looked straight into those empty sockets, gulp, clenched her small fists in the tied up position they were in, and stopped herself from shaking. "I am not afraid of you," she stated. It was, without a doubt, the biggest lie she'd ever told.

The witch giggled and squished Aleanah's rosy cheeks a few times. "You're just so cute," she grinned and spun away. The witches went into the kitchen to grab a few special herbs for the sacrifice of the Hero, leaving a fuming Dean and a terrified Aleanah in the empty dining room. In fact, the entire house was empty, they seemed to be squatting.

"Aleanah," Dean's struggle to get free was apparent in his voice. "Stay calm, everything is going to be-"

"_Don't_ say alright," Aleanah snapped in an commanding tone. Her bangs curtained her face again. "I want my momma," she whispered under her breath, closing her eyes and allowing tears to fall.


	6. Don't Play with Fire

Sam was back in the motel room, on his lap top, two phones in his hands; both on hold. His computer, ever so slowly, was tracking the GPS's last reading. "No-I mean YES! Yes I would like to speak to an operator, a real human being please."

"You've selected," the machine voice said, "Transfer to San Diego."

"What? No! I...UGH," Sam hung up that phone, throwing it on the bed. "Yes hello I'm here, this is agent Scully," he quickly remembered Dean is Scully and sighed to himself. "My partner was working a case and isn't picking up his phone, is it possible you could track it?"

"What's the PIN and phone number?"

"5380, phone number is, (913)-388-4364…" Sam waited patiently for the guy to tracking the GPS, praying it worked.

"Sir your partner, or I should say his phone, is on the west side of town, in an construction side. That's the best reading I can get. Would you like me to send a patrol with you?"

"No. Thank you," Sam hung up and was out the door and into someone's cheap yellow Chevy before the phone line ended.

**SPNSPNSPNSPN**

"Hey after we bust outta here how 'bout me and you get some apple pie and chocolate milk," Dean began to cut through his rope, every so slowly.

Aleanah was scrunched against the wall as small as possible. Sweat bulbing her forehead, lips pulled in a thin line. She was still wearing grey Bugs Bunny pajamas from this morning-oh, had it been a _long_ day. Last night they spent in the Impala driving, Sam said it would be an in and out. They'd only been here a day! A day! Dean just stared at the girl, whom hadn't struggled or tried to move.

"Aleanah talk to me, come on. Don't be scared," Dean struggled.

Her blue eyes flicked up to scowl at Dean, similar to the way she did when he denied her to ride without a seatbelt in the Impala. Something so full of hatred didn't belong on such a beautiful child. It was strange, Dean was almost taken back by the glare.

"Okay," said the man as he walked from the kitchen a while later, he held his knife in his hand, it was already covered in blood, most likely from one of the previous victims. "Honey! Are you ready?"

"Just about darling," she called from the kitchen, coming out with a wooden platter to catch the blood. Dean was nearly halfway through the rope, however, that wasn't enough time. The witches approached Dean with the knife.

"I will haunt your ass," warned Dean, "then drag you down to hell myself!"

The witches chuckled at this remark, bringing the knife closer to Dean's neck. "HEY!" A shout came from behind them, strong and powerful yet small and scared. The witches turned. Aleanah was staring demandingly at the witches, it hurt her eyes to stare at such monsters but she kept her gaze. "Don't touch him!"

"And who's gonna stop us? You? Aw aren't you just adorable," the woman smirked. Aleanah shuttered. The man brought the blade to his throat and Aleanah blood began to boil, both figuratively and literally.

"I said DON'T touch him!" The witches both turned again.

"Go and shut her up, I can't concentrate with her screaming." The woman went over to the child and was getting ready to take the child's voice, however, when the witch touched Aleanah's forehead, Aleanah's hair burst into red, hot flames.

The blonde ringlets turned into orange waves of heat, grabbing a hold of the woman's flammable clothes. The child's body caught fire, along with the witch, who screamed in agonizing pain from her flesh burning off. Aleanah's eyes rolled back, leaving a bright, white light in her sockets. The wife ran to her husband, grabbing on to him and begging to take the pain away, that however, just caught him on fire. Both witches, flaming and screaming, ran throughout the room.

Aleanah let out a loud yelp, and the flames gave one last bright flare then went out. Aleanah was unconscious, laying on the wood flooring as the witches panicked. Dean broke from his bindings and ran to the child, who was running a high fever and sweating. He, with a healthy dose of hesitation, scooped the child in his arms. He started to feel the heat from the fire on his skin. Smoke built on the ceiling.

Dean searched the dirt road for the Impala, not finding it he began to run in the direction he believed they brought them from. The construction site was on a dirt path, several small trees acting as shields from the outside world. Dean kept up his pace, though Aleanah's temperature increased. Coming down at a fast pace was an old yellow car that occasionally let out a gust of exhaust. Sam slammed on the breaks and got from the drivers seat, running to Dean.

"What happened?"

"Witches is what happened, hurry get in the car. We need to get Aleanah to the motel room." Dean was out of breath and practically gasping. Sam rushed to the back seat, opening the door of the rusty car. "What kind of crap car is this?"

Sam shrugged, jumping into the drivers seat, on the move before Dean even closed the door. "Seriously, what happened," Sam said, looking at cloud of smoke in the sky.

"I'll tell you later, step on it," Dean snapped from the backseat, cradling the feverish child, who was damp with sweat. They found the Impala abandoned on highway 49, Dean quickly switched cars, bringing Aleanah with him. It was harsh thinking, but he wasn't going to leave someone who just set two people on fire with his baby brother. Sam trailed behind the fast paced Impala.

They reached the motel and Sam quickly parked the yellow Chevy where he had found it, Dean was already to the door. Aleanah was a dead weight in his arms, continuing to burn up. He pushed open the door and scrambled to the bathroom, carefully setting the five year old in the tub, he started the shower. Cold water poured through the shower head and covered the girl. Her blonde hair stuck to her rosy face. Her clothes clung to her.

She woke with tears in her eyes, clinging to the sides of the tub with her finger nails. Confusion swept over this small child, her heart raced without delay, sweat still beating from her forehead. Her lips were purple and she shivered, yet the water steamed when in contact with her skin. She wailed and fidgeted, tears pouring more than they ever had.

"ALEANAH," Dean tried to grab a hold of her flailing arms. "Calm down!" She didn't seem to hear him, she screamed a painful scream, for both ears in the general area and her throat. Her brain could not hold all of this information coming to her. She was just with Sam, then with those people in the house...then to the laundromat, wait no… there was a fire, then the laundromat, then Sam, then motel room? She cried.

Her bottom lip trembled, eyes red, snot running down her nose, hair curling from the water, gooseflesh sticking along exposed skin, don't forget the glossy blue eyes filled to the brim with tears. Dean turned off the shower head and watched as her arms slowly stopped moving and she sat still in the tub, motionless. Finally her eyes looked up at Dean and she held up her arms as if demanding to be held. Dean complied, lifting the child from the tub, her clothes dripped. He set her on the sink, grabbing the towel and rubbing her wet hair until it was damp.

She sniffled and jerked and hiccups all the while. Her blonde hair was sticking straight up from the towel dry. While this was going on, the perplexed Sam neatly folded a pair of Tangled pajamas and handed them to the "Mother Hen," who was making Aleanah blow into a wad of toilet paper. Aleanah trembled with tears, rubbing her eyes as more still fell. Dean wiped a few away with his thumbs, setting her down on the floor and handing her the pajamas. Dean helped her climb out of her grey Bugs Bunny pajamas then into her pink and green Tangled pair. The front had Rapunzel gliding through the air with her long hair, and the pants and sleeves were covered in little green Chameleons.

"Dean," Aleanah stammered, tears falling just two at a time now. Her hair was still a mess on her head, cheeks and nose still red, her eyelids, when she happened to bat them, were a light purple shade.

Dean shoved her wet pajamas into a grocery bag, along with her toothbrush and paste on the counter. When she spoke, he almost thought it was a cough it was so rough and quiet. He turned to face the child, frowning concerningly.

"What happened," she hesitated to ask, staring up at him with wide eyes.

You turned into a ball of fire and killed two people, oh, and burned the house down. But Dean couldn't just say that, it was cruel to even think that. It wasn't like it was the child's fault she has angel Grace in her. Dean knew what Cas ment by 'be cautious' now. "Do you really not remember?"

The girl shook her head no, but in the deepest, darkest place in her heart she remembered watching that woman's flesh peeling from her skin. She remembered the screaming. She remembered the man's confused, petrified face, she remembered that she did this to the woman and man, that she had caused this pain. She remembered Dean's horrified face. She remembered, but it was so terrible it must have been a nightmare. So tearfully, she shook her head and hoped that Dean would set things straight. That no one caught fire, that her hair didn't burst into flames, that those people weren't dead.

Dean gave a small smile under the surface of his face, because now he could lie. "Well, Sam came and took care of those witches, that one woman knocked you out 'cause you kept screaming at them to stop. You're a brave kid, you know that." Aleanah gave a weak smile. Sam stood in the doorway, yet again, confusingly.

"Can we leave," Aleanah asked.

Dean scooped her up in his arms, God, she was still warm. "The sooner the better kiddo." Dean walked out of the bathroom and set the kid down on the bed, beginning to throw everything into their bags. "Sam, could you go and check us out?" Sam nodded, giving Dean a worried look, and trotted off the the motel lobby.

Aleanah crawled over the bed and grabbed Softy, who was abandoned on the pillows when Dean and her were watching The Little Mermaid. She cradled him in her arms, watching as Dean quickly shove everything into bags or his pocket if small enough. Aleanah was still cold from the water that she was drenched in, so she burrito style wrapped herself into the blankets. "Can I sleep in the car," Aleanah asked in a soft voice. Her usual bosy, commanding voice was lost at the moment.

"Sure thing," Dean threw a bag over his shoulder and held out his hand towards her. Aleanah slid off the bed to grab it. She climbed in the back seat and when Sam slid into the passenger seat they pulled out of the parking lot. When driving down the highway, a half dozen fire trucks zoomed past. Dean bit the side of his cheek, looking at Aleanah who had her eyes glued to the back window, watching those sirens disappear. Sam caught Dean's glance and gave him a confused, begging look. Dean just shook his head, focusing on the road ahead.


	7. Touched by an Angel

Dean drove with the radio on high. A mixture of old music played throughout the drive. It only took a Cheap Trick song before the child in the backseat was zonked. She was wrapped in the stolen motel comforter, rosy cheek resting on the seat belt. Whenever Sam shifted or grunted, gesturing towards the girl, Dean simply shook his head and looked in the rear view mirror. The poor child was sickly looking, hair in a curly mess, cheeks the color of an apple, eyelids the shade of lavender petals. Her breathing was heavy and raspy as she slept.

Hours seemed to pass of the same cycle. Dean would try and focus on the road and music, but his mind always drifted back to the house. The fire. The screams of those people. The heat. He'd look in the mirror at her again, looking for something different. Then Sam would clear would clear his throat and give Dean a look. Dean would shake his head. Another few cycles and Sam finally gave up, leaning against the door and following the kid's example.

After a while, Dean couldn't possibly keep his eyes from staying open. He pulled off into a rest stop, woods engulfed the Impala in the secluded rest stop. Dean leaned against his door, using his jacket as a blanket. While Dean slept, he kept a hand on his 45' and one eye open.

Groggily, Dean opened his eyes a few hours later. The sun was barely up, shining through a thick line of spruce trees. It took him but seconds to realize Sam was gone. He jerked forward, seeing an empty motel blanket sprawled on the back seat. Dean cursed under his breath and scrambled from the seat. The cold air greeted Dean like an unpleasant one night stand...slapping him in the face. He tried to ignore it, but couldn't stop shivering.

"Sam," he called out, first in a raspy whisper. He feared they might have been taken. Then Dean yelled for Sam, running at a faster pace through the woods. Sam came out from behind a tree. Dean scanned for any injuries.

"Kid had to pee," Sam answered tiredly, gesturing towards the child his his arms. She squished her face into his shoulder, hair a nest of curls, her arms were wrapped around his neck, one hand gripping the arm of Softy. Dean sighed in an angered way, but he was utmost relieved.

"Super, lets boogie," Dean leads the way back to the Impala, he had neglected to close the driver's door in his panic to find them. He quickly slid inside the front seat, rubbing his hands together and watching carefully as Sam put the kid back in the back seat. She curled up in a ball on the blanket like a sick dog. Sam found his place in the passenger side. "Okay. Anyone else have to pee at the crack of dawn?" No one stirred. The Impala purred under Dean's touch.

The sun peeked above the trees an hour later on the road. The radio was on low, the hum of the engine putting Aleanah back to sleep. Burgers were on Dean's mind. Cheesy, warm, salty, the crunch of the lettuce, the the vinegar taste of the pickles, he played in his thoughts.

The swoop of wings echoed through the Impala, a breeze blew Sam's hair in his face. Castiel appeared in the back seat. "Hello Dean, Sam," he nodded a greeting. Dean jumped at his entrance, slamming on the breaks. Quickly, he pulled off to a shoulder.

"Cas," he scolded, turning to face his...angle. Castiel was frowning at Aleanah, carefully touching her forehead.

"Dean I told you to be cautious," Castiel turned his frown towards Dean, scowling. "By the looks of her decomposition you have not been."

"What are you talking about?" Dean snapped, returning the cynical glare.

"She is dying Dean."

Sam jerked in his seat, "what? How? Dean what the hell?"

"Well," Dean gasped, gulping. It was like a clot of blood cut off thoughts to his brain. "Can't you heal her?" He croaked.

Castiel cocked his head, eyes narrowing. He snapped through his teeth, "of course I can Dean, I _am _an angel." Castiel placed a hand on Aleanah's back, his eyes rolled over into bright white lights. Balls of light traveled through his arms, reaching the tip of his finger pads and seeping into Aleanah's skin. Her small body convulsed.

"What's happening, Goddamnit Cas talk to me!" Dean shrieked, watching the small kid's body twist and turn like a worm on sandpaper.

Castiel frowned at Dean. "She's fine. For now at least. She'll be stabilized for the time being." He looked back at the child. "I am curious, what occurred to make her temperature 105.6?"

Dean scratched the back of his head, looking for any signs of consciousness in the girl. "She pulled a Drew Barrymore and burned the house down." Castiel looked confused but eventually nodded. Sam's eyes were the size of quarters, running his hands through his messy hair.

"You need to keep her pleased Dean, otherwise she will have the same reaction. Does she realize what she is capable of?" Castiel kept his eyes locked on the kid, whose arms were wrapped around a bear. Dean shook his head, crossing his arms. "Make sure it stays that way."

"Okay, sure." Dean rubbed his hands on his face.

"Cas," Sam tried to sift through the crazy, "will she be alright?"

"She has a white blood cell count of 460," Castiel stated.

"What the hell does that mean," Dean sounded worried, though he tried not to.

"I believe humans call it the common cold, she will be fine, if she does not react like she has before. I must go," he stated, swooping before anyone could stop them. Dean rolled his eyes and threw up his hands.

"Dean," Sam questioned, frowning angrily at his brother for leaving out the fact that the small child practically exploded.

"Not now Sammy," Dean groaned, pulling off from the shoulder.

Sam sighed and adjusted yet again in his seat. "Fine, at least tell me where we're going." He ran a hand through his messy hair.

Dean clenched his jaw, squeezing the steering wheel. "Figure we'll lay low for awhile and keep our eyes open for the angel blood case."

"So we're going?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Sioux Falls, Bobby's safe house. Now shut your trap before you wake the kid-"

"Where are we going," came tiredly with a stretch in the backseat. Aleanah had her tired eyes weighing heavily, her upper body had escaped the wrapping of the blanket.

"Up. Well that's just great," Dean mumbled, glaring at Sam, then looking in the rear view mirror at the round, grey eyes. "How you feeling kiddo?"

Aleanah's cheeks were bright red, as usual, hair stuck to the sides of her face. The girl's nose ran, her body shook slightly with the fever and her stomach hurt. She shook her head, "no good Dean, no good." She rested her cheek between Sam and Dean on the seat.

Sam took the liberty to feel her very hot forehead with the back of his hand. "Are you hungry sweetheart?" She shook her head without picking her head up. He patted her head of curls. "When's the last time you ate?"

"I dunno…" she mumbled, beginning to get frustrated, the last time she ate was yesterday morning and though she may be hungry, she didn't feel like eating.

"We can stop at the next Seven-Eleven, you're sick kiddo. Gotta get something in your system." Dean kept him eyes on the road when he spoke.

Aleanah sighed loudly, her face becoming red. "But I'm not hungry," she pouted. Sam exchanged a look with Dean.

"Are you tired," Sam tried again.

"No," she flatly said, then added, "I dunno Sam! Kinda. I don't feel good. I don't want to be in this car anymore." She slumped down in the backseat, staring at the stitched leather in front of her. "Stop asking so many questions, it's hurting my head."

"Where am I going to stop kid? We're half-way there and we aren't stopping at a motel. My leather is scrapped to the bone." Dean slapped his thigh where his leather bound wallet was stuffed.

"Anywhere or I'm gonna hurl." With that Dean pressed on the gas pedal and drove about thirty miles faster than advised. They drove into a small little town with a few gas stations, a dinner or two, a movie theater, five Mcdonalds, and a Bed, Bath, and Beyond. "Stop there," she pointed towards the large building.

The brothers peered at the building with no more than three cars parked in the lot. "Why there?" Sam knew better than to ask her more questions, but he was curious.

"Lots of beds there. Comfy and quiet." She explains, little hands and nose pressed to the window in awe. _Good place to hide. _"My mommy used to take me there, we had one at home." _Mommy._ She said nothing more. The Impala pulled into the parking lot nearest the doors. Sam got out of the passenger side and Dean opened the driver's door when a small hand tugged on his jacket.

He turned to her, green eyes connecting with her grey ones. Worry cloaked his face. "What is it?"

She leaned closer into his, as if to tell a secret that Sam couldn't hear. "Can you bring your guns with you." _To keep us safe. _

"Wouldn't go to even a daycare without it sweetheart. What's wrong?"

_Nothing. _"I just feel…." She sniffled her runny nose, "safer if you got the gun." She gave a sickly smile and grabbed Softy in a cuddle, climbing out the back seat. Dean double checked the gun in his jacket out of a nervous feeling that small kid gave him. He got out of the Impala and walked with a tiny hand curled in his palm. The kid had said that Sam needed to hold Softy's hand, thus he did so, holding Softy's dirty, ripped right hand and Aleanah holding the left.


End file.
